Drowned Out
by Sweet Cari
Summary: Music has always been an important outlet for Matt but he soon finds himself facing harrowing circumstances that threaten to destroy it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I have and never will own Digimon.

**Drowned Out**

_Chapter One_

"You can't nothin' for granted! You gotta live like today!

"I turn around and I see what's behind me, I turn back around and I can see what's ahead,

"And if you don't believe I've been here all along, just turn around, just turn around,"

"Yeah!" Yutaka cheered on, "One more time, Matt!"

The blonde's voice made the final chorus swell in volume but faded out just in time as the instruments took over and ended the song with the grand finale, echoing throughout the room.

"Phew," Matt said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Great work, you guys."

"No, you're being too kind," said Takashi. "It's us that should be complimenting you! Our improvement has been skyrocketing with these rehearsals!"

"He's right, man!" added Akira. "And I'm so eager for our next concert next month!"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, what makes this concert any different than the last ones? Aside from the ever-growing number of fan girls."

"Matt, I've heard that a couple of talent scouts will be coming over to see us perform onstage." Akira explained, his tone escalating with excitement, "And if they think we're good, they'll sign us up. Then, The Teenage Wolves will be making headlines! And then, we'd conquer the world!"

_There he goes again… _Matt thought to himself.

"Well, guys," he said, "How about we call it quits tonight and meet up here in the music hall tomorrow after school?"

Yutaka nodded. "It's fine by me, Matt."

"Yeah," the other two agreed, looking at the mounted clock, "It's getting pretty late."

The three band mates began packing their instruments but their lead singer had already beaten them to it and was heading out the door.

"See you guys around." Matt said with a wave.

The air outside was cool and was growing cooler as Matt left the school grounds and headed towards the still-awake city of Odaiba. Passing by the enormous T.V. station, he pulled out his cell phone to see if his father had left a message while he was practicing.

No new message.

_Dad's probably working late again as usual. _

Matt sighed heavily and put the phone back into his pocket and kept on going.

The blonde made it to a crossing light close by and started walking the minute it turned green. Trudging forward, digging his hands into his green coat pockets for warmth, the remarks that were made at band practice were now bubbling over in his head.

_I should be excited about our next concert and all, but I'm not…Still, like Takashi said, we've improved a lot and there's chance that we can make it big, but-_

Matt broke out of his train of thoughts when he heard a low, yet strong sound coming from behind.

Growing uneasy, he continued moving at a normal pace as he tried to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread but the noise rang in his ears, increasing his heart's palpitation.

_Get ahold of yourself, Matt! It's just your imagination; _he thought angrily to himself, _you're getting worked up over nothing!_

Once he was across on the other side of the street, it stopped.

Matt held his breath and listened as he slowly turned around.

Nothing but the cars' headlights was seen rushing up and down the road was the only thing that was heard.

Not wanting to wait around to find out for himself, Matt pulled the strap of his bass guitar tighter on his shoulder and quickened his speed.

A feeling of safety and relief poured over him once his apartment complex came into view.

To Matt, it never looked so welcoming.

But just as he was taking his first step towards the complex, the sound came again, only this time; this was not his imagination playing tricks when the noise was even closer and more distinct.

Almost like someone's heavy breathing puffing against the back of Matt's neck.

Fear consumed him right on spot as he looked behind him to see the imposing figure of a man, his dark eyes staring menacingly into his. Panic instead of blood was pumping through his veins granting Matt newfound adrenaline to move.

But before Matt had the chance to flee the man caught him, grabbing the teen by his blonde locks.

Matt screamed in pain, but his voice was smothered out against the man's other hand.

However, Matt began to fight back. He bit hard into one of the man's fingers, causing him to reel in pain, but this only made the assailant clamp Matt's jaw shut in a fit of anger.

The man released his grip on the boy's hair as he attempted to grab Matt's arms, despite Matt's kicking and scratching like an enraged animal.

_This kid's feistier than I thought, but I've got to subdue him without killing him!_

The stranger felt something hard press up against chest when he tried pulling Matt into his grasp, in the darkness, his eyes caught the outline carrier of the bass guitar strapped against the boy's back.

He grinned sadistically as a sick idea was born.

The man gripped one hand on the neck of the guitar while the other hand let go of Matt's mouth.

Though puzzled by the strange act, Matt wasted no time and used the opportunity to slip right out of the strap, not caring that it meant losing his instrument to a thief.

But unbeknownst to Matt, that was what the man precisely wanted. Just as the boy started to run, the assailant swung the bass guitar like a baseball bat.

And the guitar's form effectively struck its target with a resounding crack to the skull.

With an agonized scream, Matt slumped to the ground in a heap. He could feel the warm blood mingling in with his hair, oozing gently down his temple as the night around him became darker and darker until he lapsed into the abyss of unconsciousness.

…

As he awakened, he could feel that the blood had now dried up on his face but the lingering pain was increasing with each throb beating in tune with his heart.

Wearily ignoring it, Matt's blue eyes slowly opened as he attempted to move.

But he couldn't.

Horrorstricken, he turned around and realized that his wrists tied and restrained behind his back along with his limbs, while his torso was bound to a chair.

He could hear someone was speaking. Listening closely, Matt immediately realized that it was his abductor and wanted nothing more than to shut it out as it exceled in volume as it approached his prison.

To his surprise, it stopped just when the door to Matt's room was opened, as he came nearer, Matt looked away as he felt the man's eyes loom over him.

"So," the kidnapper sneered, "You really though that you could get away, huh?"

Angered by his taunt, Matt looked him directly in the eyes with renewed courage.

"What do you want from m-"

"SHUT UP!" the kidnapper snarled, slapping Matt hard across the face.

"That was for nearly biting my finger off, you little punk!"

Matt smiled smugly at the remark but was slapped again by the kidnapper.

Feeling his left cheek reddening, the blonde asked again, this time more aware of his tone.

"What do you want from me?"

"Money."

"B-but I don't have any-"

"You may not have any," the man said with a gleam in his dark eyes, he then dug into his pocket revealing Matt's cell phone, "but your old man does."

-To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Drowned Out**

_Chapter Two_

"And done."

Hiroaki sighed, setting down the last completed document as he looked down at his wrist watch.

1:22 A.M.

_Matt's probably home and asleep by now. _

"I'll call him up to let him know I'm coming home." he said, getting ready to leave.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his apartment's number. The phone picked up but Hiroaki found himself waiting for his son to answer it, listening to the phone's constant ringing until.

"Matt, I'm-"

"Hello, you have reached the Ishida residence, I'm afraid that nobody is home at the moment so, please leave a mess-"

Hiroaki hung up.

_Something's not right here. _

Despite the lateness of the hour, he quickly dialed T.K.'s cell phone number, hoping that Matt would be there.

After the second ring, the phone picked up.

"Hello?" asked T.K. in a half-asleep voice.

"Hey, T.K.," Hiroaki answered, trying to sound as calm as possible, "Did your brother stop by after band practice? If he did, could you wake him up for me?"

"No, he didn't." replied T.K. stifling a yawn. "Why? Is Matt not at home?"

"No, I just phoned the apartment nor has he called my phone," admitted Hiroaki, "Son, I'm afraid that something's happened to your brother."

"Y-you mean Matt's gone missing?!" T.K. cried, sounding more alert. "Are you sure, Dad?"

"I'm sure."

"Maybe he's still at the school practicing," insisted the younger boy, "or he and his band mates went out to get a late-night snack together and Matt's on his way home right now."

Though in denial, T.K. had to keep clinging onto a sense of hope that his father could be wrong about the situation but hearing the weary answer back drained the hope he had that his brother was safe.

"Do you want me to go and wake up Mom?"

Hearing that, a part of Hiroaki wanted to call his ex-wife but the other part, which he agreed with, declined his son's offer but stated.

"I'll call her if something comes up."

"Okay, Dad," T.K. answered worriedly and hung up.

After hanging up, feelings of concern and dread were now mingling and mixing inside the older man.

_Where could he have gone? If he had gone to over to Tai's, he would've let me know!_

Regardless, he made one last ditch effort to contact his eldest son: contacting him on his own phone. Frantically, he called Matt's cell phone number and to his relief, it picked up and Hiroaki wasted no time answering it.

"Matt! Matt! Where are you?"

No answer.

"Matt?"

"Try again."

Hiroaki's heart skipped a beat realizing that it was not Matt on the other line.

"Who are you?!"

"Oh…now I see where your little boy gets his feistiness from." And he broke into laughter.

Hiroaki felt his blood boil as he stood helplessly listening to the man's laugh.

"What have you done to Matt?!"

"Let's just say that he's sitting back and enjoying a little game."

Following the man's answer, Hiroaki heard what sounded like static which was quickly overpowered by his son screaming.

"**STOP IT! STOP IT! HELP ME DAD!" **

Hearing Matt's desperate cries infuriated Hiroaki, wishing that he was there to strangle whoever was holding his son captive by the throat.

"I'll let him speak to you," the kidnapper said, breaking Hiroaki's train of thought, but then he heard Matt's weak voice on the line.

"D-dad…"

"Matt! Are you alright? What has he done to you?"

"H-he…I-I…"

Hiroaki strained his ears trying to understand Matt but he soon heard the assailant instead.

"Now listen up!" the captor said, "I've got steps for you to follow if you want to see your little boy again."

"Alright," Hiroaki said, struggling to keep his voice leveled, "What do you want?"

"Like I've told your kid, I want money. But this is how I want it done."

…

T.K. lay wide awake in his bed. Following the phone conversation, he was too worried about his older brother to fall back asleep.

But he couldn't help but wonder the reason why of Matt's sudden absence.

_Why would Matt just disappear like that? _

_Did he run away? _T.K. shook his head, _No, he wouldn't do that! _

He got up from the bed and looked through the window, watching the city lights below.

_Still, where would he go if he did?_

…

"Alright," Hiroaki answered, "I'll do it, just leave my son out of this."

"Excellent, you have one hour to collect the cash and if you fail to do it when time is up, your kid will have to pay instead!"

Hiroaki's eyes widened.

"You said that you wouldn't-"

"Better get started." And the kidnapper hung up.

Hiroaki slumped into his chair, staring at his phone like if it were a bizarre growth in palm of his hand.

_One hour for ransom? For over a million dollars?!_

He looked at his watch which now read 2:01 A.M.

_That man's insane to think that I could come up with that amount of money in that length of time! But then there's Matt, he's completely at the mercy of his abductor and he just might be capable of murder._

Opening the phone, he dialed another number and got a response.

"Hello?"

"Nancy! It's Hiroaki! I know it's late but this is an emergency!" he said.

"Well, what is it?" Nancy asked, puzzled by her ex-husband's behavior.

"Matt's been kidnapped and his captor demands a ransom for his return in one hour!"

"What?!" she cried, her voice rising in hysterics, "How much does the kidnapper want? Where is he keeping Matt? Did you call the police?"

"I'm going to." Hiroaki responded.

"I need to go and wake up T.K." Nancy said, about to set the phone down. "He needs to know-"

"He already does."

"I'll tell him that you called back, then." she said, hanging up but not before saying to her ex.

"Please find him."

Closing the phone after reaffirming his promise with her, Hiroaki felt his heart aching from hearing the pleading tone in Nancy's voice.

Reopening the cell phone, Hiroaki phoned the police and drove to the station. There, with his cooperation, they were able to track down the location of the call on Matt's cell phone to an abandoned warehouse outside of the Odaiba district and they devised a plan.

"Are you sure this will work?" Hiroaki asked a little skeptic. "What if-"

"We'll make sure that you and your son will make it out unharmed." assured an officer. "Mr. Ishida, you are the key to putting this man behind bars for good."

"You are," added another voice.

He turned to find Nancy and T.K., their hair tangled and faces careworn as the two approached him.

"T.K. and I couldn't stand waiting anymore, knowing now that Matt's in danger," she explained, "And I worry that something will happen to you too when you try to save him!"

Nancy felt her bloodshot eyes tearing up at the thought and she swallowed hard fighting the growing lump in her throat.

T.K. was at a loss for words and could only look up into the eyes his father, as if he was pleading with him to come back alive with his older brother.

Seeing their weary expressions ignited a spark inside of him, renewing his determination.

"I will bring him home."

…

Matt watched as his abductor paced the floor impatiently. Though he knew that his father was coming for him, the blonde feared what would conspire once he arrived with the money.

_I can't think like that! I've got to remain hopeful…_

_Hope…_

_T.K._

He remembered how through his little brother that the Digidestined were able to vanquish two of the most powerful adversaries they faced in the Digital World and the happiness the younger blonde felt seeing both of their parents together again before departing once more.

A jolt of pain suddenly snapped Matt out of his memories, and he looked up to see his captor, pulling on his blonde bangs viciously.

"Time's almost up, Blondie."

"My dad will come!" Matt shot back. "And when he does, you'll regret ever kidnapping me!"

The abductor sighed, "You still don't know when to keep your big, fat mouth shut do you? So, I guess I need to get more physical!"

With a forceful yank, Matt fell forward in his chair, his face making contact with the floor. He barely had enough time to turn his head to side; saving his nose from being broken and felt his right cheek bruising on the spot.

Matt bit his lip to prevent from crying out in pain as he laid there, his face pressing uncomfortably against the cold floor while his bound arms and legs were stiffening.

"It is now, three o' clock." He heard his captor say, "Looks like you'll have to pay instead."

"**DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" **

The man turned around and saw Hiroaki standing before him, carrying an old carpetbag in one hand.

He smiled, "I see that you've kept your end of the bargain, so in return I keep mine."

With that, the kidnapper gently lifted Matt from off the floor, setting the chair down easy. Hiroaki fought back a gasp when he saw the brutal injuries Matt sustained from his ordeal as well as the urge to tackle the man responsible for it as he came towards him.

Slowly, Hiroaki handed the carpetbag to him.

"Here's your money."

As the abductor greedily snatched the bag, he didn't notice Hiroaki pull something out from his pocket until he opened the bag, only to find it completely empty.

"You tricked me, you-"

Before he could finish, Hiroaki shot pepper spray directly into the man's face. The kidnapper dropped the bag and cell phone as he howled in pain, the police burst into the warehouse and successfully made an arrest.

Hiroaki and another officer untied Matt from the chair and helped support him on both sides. As they fled the warehouse, the officer managed to retrieve the stolen cell phone from the abductor after he was cuffed.

After getting into one of the police cars safely, Hiroaki gently embraced his son as he stroked the teen's blonde locks.

"I'm so sorry, Matt," he whispered.

He waited for a response from his eldest child but was answered by silence.

"Matt?"

Matt slumped against his father's chest in a limp heap.

"**MATT!"**

…

A sterile scent filled Matt's nostrils as he slowly awoke. Cracking his eyelids open, he saw his father, mother, and younger brother huddled by his bedside in a hospital room.

"He's awake!" exclaimed T.K.

"Oh, Honey," soothed Nancy as she held and stroked his hand, "We're so glad that you're alright!"

As the three exchanged heartfelt words, the doctor came into the room.

Hiroaki took notice and immediately got up to speak with him.

"Is he going to be alright?" Hiroaki asked.

The doctor looked over his notes. "Other than that concussion, I would say that your son's on his way to an easy recovery."

Hiroaki sighed in relief.

After a week of recuperating had passed, Matt was released from the hospital. Upon his return home, his e-mail was overflowing with letters ranging from his friends, fan girls, and other classmates showing their concern for what had happened to him.

Matt sighed.

_They're really gonna hound me at school and definitely try and tackle me when I'm onstage._

He then heard his father calling for him from the living room.

Matt opened his mouth to answer back.

But no sound came out.

-To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: A quick heads-up here with school starting next week for me, updates won't be as frequent and I would thank mahwish1, Azure-Wulfe, and Yuki for reviewing!

**Drowned Out**

_Chapter Three_

Matt's blue eyes widened.

He ran a hand up his throat, gently rubbing it and tried to speak again, but still no words were uttered. As a last ditch effort, he took in a deep breath and tried to scream as loud as he could but that had proved to be of no use.

"Matt, come here, now!" The blonde heard his father calling for him again, this time with a hint of impatience in his voice. Not wanting to anger his father, he ran out the door and into the living room.

"Do you want to cook dinner," his father asked, "or do you want me to order takeout instead? That's pretty much what I've lived off of while you were in the hospital."

Ending the sentence with a chuckle, Hiroaki waited for an answer but did not get one.

The blonde was at a standstill. Unable to reply or state his problem down on paper and Hiroaki was starting to grow irritated with Matt's silent treatment.

"Matt, I asked you a question." Hiroaki said sternly.

Turning to face him directly, Matt frantically pointed to his throat, hoping that his father would understand his lack of response.

And to Matt's relief, he did.

"What is it, Son?" Hiroaki asked, "What's wrong?"

Matt pointed again at his throat and opened his mouth.

"You…you can't talk?"

Matt nodded.

Seeing the desperation in his son's eyes, Hiroaki immediately realized that this was no joke.

Hiroaki placed a hand on Matt's forehead.

"Well, you don't have a fever, but I'll set up an appointment with the doctor tomorrow."

Matt sadly turned away toward the kitchen to get started on making dinner.

"Matt?"

He stopped and looked back at his father.

"How about I order takeout one more time," the older man suggested," For us, my treat."

Matt nodded and smiled weakly.

…

After arriving at the hospital the following day, the Ishidas were called in by another doctor to follow her into one of the check-up rooms where Hiroaki explained Matt's sudden voice loss.

"It's definitely not laryngitis," she said, taking an electric thermometer out of Matt's mouth, "He would be having other symptoms if he did plus his temperature's normal."

She then pulled out a tongue depressor. "Open."

Matt tried not to grimace as he felt the wooden blade press uncomfortably on his tongue while the doctor shined a flashlight for a better look at his throat.

"Hmmm…his vocal cords appear to be healthy. There are no signs of infection."

Hiroaki was baffled by the doctor's verdict.

"Then, why is Matt mute if there's nothing wrong with his vocal cords?"

She paused and pondered at Hiroaki's question for a moment and asked, "Wasn't your son placed in this hospital following a violent ransom?"

"Yes, he was." Hiroaki replied, "But the doctor who treated him said that he merely suffered a concussion."

"Mr. Ishida, I believe that the trauma from the kidnapping and not the injury could have triggered his muteness."

When Hiroaki didn't answer, the doctor continued. "This type of disorder is known as psychogenic aphonia. It's a coping mechanism in the brain which results in loss of speech following a traumatic event. That's why your son is unable to speak even though he has no physical ailments."

Hiroaki persisted. "Is there any way to treat Matt's condition?"

"Well," she said, "he will need counseling and speech therapy to help get his voice back but recovery often takes time."

With those words spoken, the reality hit Matt like a ton of bricks.

But that didn't mean that he was willing to accept it.

…

The drive back home seemed slower as the car trudged down the winding road. Neither father nor son heard the songs being played on the radio or the soft humming of the car engine.

All that they could hear were the doctor's diagnosis, echoing in their minds.

Psychogenic aphonia.

Matt turned his attention out of the car window in an attempt to ignore it as denial seeped in.

_I'm mute because of what happened? This has to be a mistake, it just has to be! _

Again, he tried to speak. Nothing.

He kept trying, hoping that whatever words he was mouthing would be spoken.

_Come on, _Matt told himself, _Talk! Talk!_

But all of his efforts proved to be in vain.

_How am I going to tell Tai and the others? _

_How will T.K. handle having a mute older brother?_

_What would the band say?_

_And Gabumon…_

With each thought crossing his mind, Matt felt more and more helpless. Feeling his eyes threatening to water, he pulled his knees up to his chest and pressed his face into them, letting sleep's darkness take him away.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Hiroaki was at a complete loss.

In a way, he felt responsible for his son's condition. But looking back at it now since his divorce from Nancy, Hiroaki was never at home, always working and working just to sustain himself and Matt through a steady paycheck.

He felt ashamed. Ashamed that he let the time he spent at his job swallow him whole. Ashamed that he, as a father, was not there for Matt as the boy was growing up.

And now, Matt's aphonia was the result that failure.

Hiroaki bit his lip as a new thought set in.

How could he tell his ex-wife of their first child's condition? How would she react?

Then, there was T.K.

He stopped at the traffic lights, as other cars made their way across the intersected street. He stared up at the light's glowing color.

Red. The color associated with love and anger.

A sudden downpour of rain came down, blurring the red light as it cascaded down on the windshield. Turning on the windshield wipers, Hiroaki looked up just in time to see the smudged image of the red light switch to green and he proceeded on towards home.

…

"Matt, wake up, Matt."

As his father continued to nudge him, Matt slowly awoke, his body felt stiff and rigid as he moved his legs.

Hiroaki gave a comforting smile. "We're home, Son."

After they got out and locked the car, they were pelted by fat raindrops, leaving the two soaking wet once they made it to the elevator and into their dry apartment.

Taking off and throwing down his wet coat, Hiroaki took notice of his son.

"Aren't you cold in those?"

Matt shook his head in response but Hiroaki could plainly tell that the teen was shivering.

"You're going to get sick if you don't change into some dry clothes, Matt."

Glaring at the older man, Matt stormed into his room slamming the door behind him.

"I better give him his space to cool off," Hiroaki mumbled, "Then I'll go check on him."

He dug into his pockets, pulling out his cell phone and dialed the Takaishi phone number.

…

Matt pounded his fist against the door.

_WHY? Why did this have to happen?_

Turning on the light, he saw papers containing unfinished songs that he wrote scattered all over on the wooden floor and his guitar and harmonica lying on top of his bed.

His musical passion was spread out before him in the bedroom but to Matt, it was not a welcoming sight. It only angered him, mocked him, knowing now that his songs would not be heard because of his handicap.

Then, he snapped in a fit of rage.

He tore song after song into tiny bits and pieces, not bothering to stop and read the lyrics, throwing the shredded paper into the trash bin. He chucked his guitar carelessly into the closet, hearing it bang loudly against the wall and again when it landed on the floor.

As he planned to do the same to his harmonica, tender memories of the instrument came pouring in. It was a birthday gift from his mother and following that day, he was almost never seen without it. He practiced, improving each time as the years went by. In the Digital World, it was a source of solace and he would have never seen it again if Joe hadn't picked it up.

His rage simmered down though he still felt it bubble as he stared at the musical instrument in his hand. The blonde walked away from the closet and opened one of the desk drawers and placed the harmonica inside and closed it shut.

Matt then changed into a pair of pajamas, crawled into bed, and fell fast asleep.

-To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Here I go with another quick update before the homework pours in and a big thank you to Digi Yo and Azure-Wulfe for reviewing!

**Drowned Out**

_Chapter Four_

The morning sunshine gently crept through window of Matt's bedroom illuminating the floor with a soft, golden glow.

A pounding throb in his temples awakened Matt, and seeing the bright sunlight only seemed to add more agitation to the headache, making his eyes squint in retaliation.

As he started to get up, Matt found that his limbs were still stiff from yesterday and they contracted with pain, slowing down his movements.

_I must have slept funny or something, _he thought to himself, _but that doesn't explain this killer headache._

Ignoring both pains, the blonde changed out of his pajamas and clad in his high school uniform and quickly combed his hair before leaving the room.

Arriving in the kitchen, he saw his father reading the newspaper at the table while drinking a mug of coffee.

Hiroaki looked up from the headlines, "Good morning, Matt."

Matt almost opened his mouth to greet his father but remembered his condition. Instead, he smiled weakly and waved.

His father handed out a notepad and a pencil.

"Here," he said, offering it to Matt, "This ought to help."

Matt took both items and wrote, 'What do you want for breakfast, Dad?' and handed the notepad back to the older man.

"Hmmm… how about fried bacon and eggs?" Hiroaki suggested.

Matt nodded in agreement and got started.

While he was cooking the food, their combined scent assaulted his nostrils. He could practically smell the grease coming off of the bacon. This only intensified his headache even more and now, a new sensation was beginning to unravel.

Matt fought back a growing wave of nausea but the smell of breakfast cooking was tempting his stomach to spill its contents. Even looking at it provoked the need to. But then suddenly, it passed, allowing Matt to continue without getting queasy.

While Hiroaki enjoyed his cooked breakfast, Matt only picked at his food.

He wasn't even looking at it.

Matt helped himself to a glass of water and an aspirin instead to combat the headache.

"Aren't you going to eat, Son?" Hiroaki asked, noticing that Matt hasn't eaten a bite. "Are you not hungry?"

The Bearer of Friendship nodded.

Hiroaki took a glance at his watch, "Well, we better get going, Matt or else we'll both be late."

…

Now back at high school, Matt tried to act as normal as possible despite his aphonic condition. Unfortunately, the rumors about him were spreading throughout the school and he could hear the faint gossips that were whispered as he walked past other students.

"Who does Matt think he is?"

"Ever since his kidnapping, he now suddenly feels like he's better than us?!"

"He's so rude, giving people the cold shoulder!"

Ignoring it as more thoughts mixed inside of him, Matt wasn't watching where he was going until he bumped into someone.

And that someone was Sora.

"Matt!" she exclaimed, a little surprised.

Matt felt his face grow hot as he blushed with embarrassment. He quickly turned away, not wanting to look at the auburn-haired girl after his clumsy run-in with her.

"Hey, Tai!" she called out, "I found him!"

In a quick flash over a sea of students, Tai appeared before the two.

"More so, he ran into me." Sora stated.

The bushy-haired teen chuckled at his childhood friend's statement.

"And I though Joe was a klutz."

Tai then cleared his throat.

"Anyway but that's not why we were looking for you, Matt." Tai said more seriously, "T.K. told us about what happened to you. And we're really sorry but that doesn't mean that we can't help!"

"We promise to be there for you, Matt," added Sora, "All of us."

The bell soon rang, and the three of them quickly hurried off to class.

…

When school was finally over, Matt realized that he hadn't seen his band mates since the kidnapping.

_I need to find them, _he thought, _we've got to somehow sort things out about the concert!_

Gathering his belongings and heading out the classroom, Matt saw the other three members head out towards the music hall and silently followed them.

As he neared the shut door, Matt caught a glimpse of his band mates from the door window and leaned his hear against the door and began to listen in on them.

Akira gritted his teeth in frustration. "The concert's coming up soon, and now Matt's voiceless!"

"I'm sure that once his voice recovers," Takashi assured, "then we would-"

"But what if he **never** gets his voice back, Takashi," questioned Yutaka, "and then what do we do?"

"I'll tell you what," Akira said bitterly, "the Teenage Wolves are done for, that's what!"

Matt couldn't believe what he was hearing as the argument escalated in volume.

The blonde was just about to barge into the music hall, he heard a loud smack coming from inside. Peering from the window, Matt saw Akira sitting on the floor, nursing his cheek with Takashi standing over him with a clenched fist.

"Akira, you have no idea what Matt has gone through the past few weeks." Takashi said sternly.

"The kidnapping was too much for him," Yutaka added, "This is one way of how the mind deals with things like that."

The realization set in as Akira slowly got up.

"You guys are right," he admitted, "I haven't been-Matt!"

The other two band members turned to see their lead singer coming into the room.

"You heard every word didn't you?" asked Yutaka.

Matt nodded and turned to Akira.

"I'm so sorry, Matt," Akira said, hanging his head, "I've turned into such a selfish jerk. I...I guess I let the band's success get to me and I completely forgot that our band was successful because of our friendship."

Matt placed a hand on Akira's shoulder and smiled.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked nervously.

The blonde nodded.

"So, what's the plan for the concert then if your voice hasn't recovered?" questioned Yutaka, "because I'm sure that the four of us could think of something but it's entirely up to you, Matt."

Pulling out the notepad, Matt wrote down his plan and presented it to the trio.

Akira was skeptical. "Are you sure about this, man?"

Yutaka and Takashi were nodding in agreement with Akira as their eyes double checked every word that was written.

Matt gave a firm nod and with a wave headed out the door.

Takashi sighed, "I guess that we're going to have to trust him on this one."

…

Leaving the music hall and continuing down the empty hallway, Matt's headache returned with a vengeance. The throbbing increased tenfold, becoming more painful with every sound he heard, no matter how faint it was.

_Once I make it home, I'm going to bed…I can do this._

Just as he was about to exit the school, his cell phone started to vibrate uncontrollably. Annoyed, Matt reluctantly opened the phone, reading the sent text message.

_It's from T.K. and he wants me to go with him to the Digital World with Davis, Ken and the others to pay a visit to Gabumon._

Matt smiled at the idea but then hesitated at the thought of telling Gabumon the news.

_No, he needs to know too!_

The Bearer of Friendship quickly texted a reply back to T.K. and managed to make it in perfect time to meet up with the younger group.

"Glad you could make it, Bro!" greeted T.K.

Matt winced against the pounding in his temple at his brother's tone but managed to cover it up.

"You ready to go, Matt?" Davis asked.

With a confirmed nod, the group held out their digivices and vanished into the computer screen in a flash of light which was pure torture for Matt.

Entering the Digital World left Matt feeling very light-headed. As the aching in his temple pulsated even more, it felt like his head was going to split open from the pain. He suddenly clutched his stomach, fighting back the urge to vomit until it subsided.

Sighing with relief, he noticed Kari walk up towards him with a worried expression.

"Are you alright, Matt?" she asked, looking up at the older blonde, "You seem a little pale."

T.K. joined her and saw that Kari was right; his brother had gone at least two shades lighter in skin color.

"Maybe, we should go home, Matt," T.K. suggested, "we could see Gabumon anytime and you look like you might be coming down with something."

But Matt shook his head defiantly.

"See, T.S., he's fine," stated Davis, "besides, there has been a bug going around the high school and Jun just happened to catch it!"

"Humans catch bugs?" asked Veemon, with wide eyes.

"That's just an expression." Cody answered back.

T.K. almost snapped at the goggle head but was stopped by his older brother, saying in writing that he would be fine.

"Alright then," T.K. sighed, "Lead the way, Davis."

…

As they traveled on foot, Matt's strength was beginning to waver but he stubbornly ignored the growing exhaustion that had been slowly consuming him. He began to shiver, wrapping his school jacket tighter around him despite the Digital World's mild climate.

_I've got to keep going, _he thought, gritting his teeth against the pain that numbed his entire body, _I just have to!_

His nose suddenly started to itch and despite his best efforts to try and hold it in, Matt sneezed violently twice, immediately getting the attention of the younger Digidestined to his dismay.

"Bless you." They said in union.

Davis scratched the back of his head, "I always thought that mute people couldn't make any noise at all!"

"Actually, they can," Ken stated to the spiky-haired boy, "Sneezing doesn't require vocal cords to make a sound. It's merely a sudden burst of air from the lungs through the nose and mouth."

"Well, you can't hide it anymore, Matt." T.K. confirmed, "You're sick."

When Matt only sniffled in response, T.K. dug into his pocket offering a handkerchief to his brother, who took it.

"It looks like he has a bad cold." observed a concerned Yolei. "A very bad cold."

Before anyone else could have a word, both T.K. and Kari took Matt by the wrists.

"We're going home," T.K. told Matt firmly, "I don't want you getting worse out here."

Kari nodded in complete agreement, knowing all too well when she fell ill in the Digital World, with only a cool washcloth on her forehead to combat the fever that scorched her body though she was able to fight it off. But when the Bearer of Light looked up at the older blonde a second time, she could plainly see his illness taking its effects on his body.

"Let's fly back to the T.V. portal," the short-haired brunette suggested, "We could get there much faster than on foot."

T.K. pulled out his D-3. "That's a good idea, Kari."

Shouting the given command, Patamon and Gatomon amor-digivolved into Pegasusmon and Nefertimon. They took to the air, with Matt riding with T.K. and were joined in sky with ExVeemon, Stingmon, and Aquilamon with their human partners. Retracing their steps, the Digidestined quickly found their way of entry and vanished back into the computer room.

-To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I'm really sorry about the long wait, I've been pretty busy lately with school but I hope this update makes up for it and a big thank you goes out to Digi Yo and Yuki who reviewed!

**Drowned Out**

_Chapter Five_

"We're sorry that the visit didn't turn out like you wanted to, T.K." Kari said sadly once the group made it outside of the school building.

"Don't worry about it, Kari," the Bearer of Hope assured with a smile, "Once the weekend's over with, Matt will feel better before you know it."

"I sure hope so," she said.

With a quick farewell to Kari and the others, the blonde brothers headed for home.

T.K., Patamon, and Matt made it back at the Ishida apartment; T.K. took out his cell phone and quickly dialed his home number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

"T.K., where are you? You should've been home an hour ago!" Nancy scolded.

"I know Mom but Matt's not feeling good so I'm planning on spending the night over at Dad's to help take care of him. I think he's caught a cold."

"Oh, I understand," she said, "Do you want me to come over and help you look after your brother?"

"It's okay, Mom," The younger blonde replied, "I think I can handle it by myself."

"Alright then, dear," said Nancy, "Just be sure to call me if Matt gets worse okay?"

"Don't worry about it, Mom, I will." T.K. confirmed, ending it with a quick goodbye.

But just as T.K. was hanging up the phone, he turned to see his brother leave something behind in the kitchen as he started into the hallway and into his room, closing the door.

"Matt?"

Following Matt's trail into the kitchen, T.K. discovered a note on the kitchen table and he picked it up and started reading it. His blue eyes scanned through the words, but one particular sentence caught his attention.

'I'll be fine by tomorrow.'

The Bearer of Hope sighed as he stared out into the dark hallway, pondering his brother's statement of 'being fine'.

…

Pressing his back up against the door, shivers coursed through Matt as he folded his arms tightly around him in a feeble attempt to warm himself.

A round of dry coughs escaped from his throat followed by a forceful sneeze. Matt felt his eyes watering from the aftermath while the pain from the headache doubled, pounding fiercely in his skull.

_Ugh…I've got to get better…_ Matt thought, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Lazily, he kicked off his shoes as he sluggishly walked towards his bed and crawled in; not bothering to change out of his school uniform and wrapping the blankets tightly around him; he fell into a fitful sleep, unaware of another presence lurking inside the room before it vanished into the darkness.

…

Gabumon gave a lonely sigh as he tossed a pebble into a nearby creek.

_I wonder how Matt's doing these days, _the horned Digimon thought, picking up another pebble and threw it carelessly into the water.

_I really wish that-_

His thoughts were suddenly cut short when he heard a low gurgling sound.

Puzzled, Gabumon looked around, hoping to find the source of the noise but he was only Digimon there.

"That can't be my stomach," he said aloud, "I just had a snack."

As he listened, the sound seemed to grow louder. It didn't sound like a Digimon like he first thought it was but then, his brown eyes turned towards the creek in front of him.

And a mysterious form slowly rose out from the water, its eyes glinting watching Gabumon, who was staring, mouth agape.

"No! It can't be! How can it-"

Then, the being lunged.

…

A faint, yet familiar beeping noise stirred Matt back to consciousness.

_Huh? Is that my digivice?_

Slowly bringing himself to a sitting position, Matt dug into his green coat pocket and pulled out the tiny machine and in the darkness of the room, a red signal was flashing in tune with beeping.

_Gabumon's in trouble! _

He pulled off the covers, immediately getting up from the bed but a woozy feeling swept over him once he stood up on the floor. Shrugging it off, Matt headed out towards the door, only to be greeted face-to-face with T.K.

"Matt!" the younger blonde exclaimed, "I was just about to check on you, are you feeling better?"

He lied, nodding his head and took out his digivice pointing to the flashing screen.

"Something's happened to Gabumon?"

Matt nodded.

"I'll get the DigiPort open on Dad's computer!"

T.K. hastily ran into the office room and turned on the desktop while Matt slipped his shoes back on his feet to join him.

"Okay, I got it open," T.K. confirmed but once he looked back at his brother, he hesitated.

"Are you sure you're all right, Matt? M-maybe Patamon and I should go with you…"

He shook his head no and before T.K. could speak, Matt disappeared into the computer screen.

Upon re-entering the Digital World, Matt took a glimpse at his digivice, indicating Gabumon's location. However, the blinking red light was beginning to grow dim.

_What does this mean? I… I don't have time! I've got to find him!_

Matt ran as fast as he could in the direction of the fading light but the forced energy on his body only fueled his sickness more and was rapidly giving into exhaustion.

His vision began to blur, his panting turned into heavy wheezing and his chest heaved painfully as he took in one breath after the other. He stopped short as a sudden coughing fit seized him and he fell to his knees.

Once the coughing had subsided, the blonde heard a cry ring out in the distance.

"MAAATTT!"

He called out Gabumon's name but his mute answer was in vain, hearing his Digimon's shout echo before fading out into complete silence.

_I've…got…to…keep…going…_Matt thought to himself, slowly rising but his legs buckled as he took a step to run, only to fall flat on the ground.

Lifting his head, Matt stubbornly arose with one hand pressing down on his knee to keep steady as his swaying body was threatening to fall over again until finally, it stopped, and he took off.

_Gabumon…hang on…_

…

"Blue Blaster!"

The blue flame burst from Gabumon's mouth towards his attacker but the horned Digimon's offense proved too weak against his adversary.

"W-what do you want from me?" asked Gabumon, taking a step back as the figure came closer.

_I need you, Matt! Where are you?_

When the stranger made no reply, Gabumon took no chances.

He fled.

But that was exactly what the figure was waiting for.

It raised up its hand, a sphere of energy began to glow and form against the palm. Then, it shifted its aim towards Gabumon.

And fired.

…

Matt turned and saw a blast of light at least ten feet away from where he stood.

_Gabumon!_

He quickened his pace, desperate to find his Digimon partner and hoping that Gabumon was unharmed.

But his body rebelled against his wishes and Matt felt himself quickly slowing down with more potent force than before.

_Come on…I'm almost there…_

A feeling of relief filled him when he at last saw Gabumon in his sight but the relief had quickly melted into dread, stopping dead in his tracks when he at last reached his Digimon.

Gabumon was lying face down in the dirt, completely beaten, battered, and unmoving.

Matt bent down, gently cradling his Digimon against his chest, fighting back the tears forming in his eyes.

"Matt…"

He quickly looked down, watching Gabumon's eyes slowly open.

"You…you came…"

The blonde bit his lip. Now, more than ever did he wish that he could speak. To apologize to Gabumon for not coming sooner, apologize for not being a better partner since his journey in and out of the Digital World.

_I've almost made Gabumon kill Tai…and I broke the team apart because of that and Tai and Wargreymon had to suffer Piedmon's wrath! _

Gabumon weakly extended a paw which Matt carefully took in his own.

The horned Digimon then gave a weak chuckle following a smile.

"It's not your…fault…this happened…You came…and that's all…that matters…"

He gasped suddenly and Matt tensed, pulling Gabumon closer.

"G-goodbye…Matt…" he whispered, "My…friend…"

With that, Gabumon closed his eyes and his body dissolved into countless data fragments that ascended off into the digital sky above.

-To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I've finally updated and I apologize for it being extremely slow…and I would like to thank Azure-Wulfe, Yuki, and Digi Yo for reviewing.

**Drowned Out**

_Chapter Six_

Matt began to tremble; his shoulders slouched while his body slumped in complete disbelief.

He stared wide-eyed at his open arms, but now, they were empty, and the feeling of warmth that had once rested against them was fading.

Feeling the cold seep in, he tore his gaze from his shaky arms and shut his eyes, hoping that the few minutes that had conspired were nothing more than a cruel fantasy that his anxious mind had conceived. But when he opened them again, it only shed more light to the reality of Gabumon's death.

Realization finally made its connection with the blonde as everything surrounding Matt seemed to fall into an eerie silence.

Suddenly, Matt felt something brush lightly on his shoulder. Breaking out his trance, he turned around to see T.K. drawing back his hand as he looked down at him, with a worried expression on his face.

Seeing the disturbed, vacant look glinting in Matt's eyes frightened T.K., but the younger blonde managed to regain his composure as his blue eyes stared back into his brother's lifeless ones.

"A-a little bit after you left, Matt," T.K. began nervously, "Patamon and I went into the Digital World ourselves looking for you. I-I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt out here! Unable to cry for help with no one around…"

T.K. stopped short of his sentence, taking notice of his brother's lack of interest until Patamon spoke up.

"Hey, T.K., wasn't Gabumon in some kind of trouble?"

The Bearer of Hope paused. "You're right! He was! But where is he?"

Upon hearing the question, Matt's hand slowly crept up the side of his pale face as he lowered his head, avoiding T.K's gaze.

T.K. stared, confused at first by his brother's sudden change in behavior.

Then, something inside of him clicked.

"Matt, did something happen to Gabumon?"

Breathing heavily, Matt slowly dug into his pocket and held out his digivice in the palm of his quivering free hand as T.K. observed the tiny machine.

"W-what are you trying to tell me, Matt?"

The Bearer of Friendship lowered his hand away from face, briefly looking up back at his brother with a glazed expression before taking in an uneasy breath.

T.K.'s face fell as the shocking revelation was rapidly beginning to make sense of Matt's current state of being.

"Y-you mean that you were…and n-now Gabumon is-"

Matt nodded, carelessly dropping his digivice into the soft dirt.

And burst into uncontrollable tears.

He made several efforts at trying to stop, but all of the guilt that weighed heavily on his heart only caused his tears to come down heavier.

T.K. stood in utter silence, watching his brother cry. Never in his life, even when their parents split apart, had the younger blonde seen his brother so broken. It filled him with growing discomfort as he continued to listen to Matt's sobbing.

Fighting back the tears forming in his own eyes, T.K. averted his gaze to Patamon, who was on the verge of crying.

_I thought at first that Patamon wouldn't come back after he digivolved and defeated Devimon…_ he thought, _Then Ken lost Wormmon…and now Gabumon's dead. But then, Digimon can never truly die, they just-_

His thoughts were cut short when he heard a harsh coughing fit coming from Matt.

Matt sputtered as more tears squeezed out from under his eyelids each time his breath hitched from the crying. But as he tried to stop it only prolonged the fit.

Quickly kneeling down to help, T.K. placed a gentle hand on Matt's back and immediately felt the heat radiating off of his older brother.

Ignoring the fever burning against his palm, T.K wrapped his arms around his grief-stricken brother. The latter returned the embrace, shaking as his coughing gradually subsided.

_This is entirely my fault,_ the Bearer of Hope thought bitterly,_ I should've let Matt see Gabumon even though he was getting sick... but I didn't…I was thinking about Kari… Gabumon would still be here if I hadn't-_

T.K. suddenly blinked, feeling droplets of water soak through the sleeve on his shoulder.

"Oh, Matt," he whispered soothingly, tightening his hold in a protective manner.

"Gabumon will come back. He will."

Matt pulled away and looked at his brother through bleary tears, nodding weakly. He sniffled, drying his eyes with T.K.'s handkerchief from earlier before tending to his already streaming nose.

Once he was finished, T.K. draped Matt's arm around his shoulder while his right arm supported Matt's torso.

"Let's go home."

…

Upon returning back to the Ishida apartment, Matt's sickness escalated once more, draining his strength to the point that T.K. practically dragged him out of the office and into his bedroom.

After laying Matt gently down on the bed and wrapping the soft blankets around his shivering form, T.K. hesitantly placed a hand on his brother's forehead but drew it back in an instant.

_He's hot to the touch! _T.K. thought, biting his lip, _I've got to bring his fever down fast!_

Just then, he remembered the phone call with his mother earlier as well as her last remark.

With Patamon standing guard over his frail brother, the Bearer of Hope hastily left the bedroom and rushed into the living room. After picking up the phone, about to dial the numbers, he heard a knock on the door.

Puzzled, he put the phone back on the hook, leaving the living room and walked towards the door, opening it.

"Mom?"

"I know I told you to call me, if something happened," Nancy started, "but I felt like I had to be there for both of you and Matt."

"How is he, T.K.?" she asked.

"He's burning up with a fever," he replied in a worried tone.

"I knew it," she confirmed, "something was wrong."

Closing the door behind them, T.K. led his mother through the darkened hallway to her eldest son's room. Hearing both of their voices coming closer, Patamon quickly disappeared into the computer room before the pair arrived.

Turning on the light, Nancy leaned over Matt's bed, her brow furrowing with great concern as she felt her son's feverish cheek against her fingers.

Matt's eyelids slowly cracked open at her touch, seeing her gently standing over him. He pulled a shaky hand out from under the bed sheets to hers, letting it rest against her open palm. Nancy carefully placed her free hand over his in response.

"It's alright, baby," she whispered, "I'm here…I'm finally here."

Matt gave a heavy nod just as his sight began to dim and he quickly faded back into sleep.

"Do you think we need to call the doctor?" T.K. asked taking notice of his mother's uneasy expression.

"We need to get his fever down soon." Nancy answered.

For the next few hours, the two vigilantly stayed by Matt's side, but T.K.'s guilt had been gradually consuming him from within. All he could think about was what he had done and what he could have done.

_So much has happened to Matt already…and I'm only making it worse for him! If I had gone with him when Gabumon was in danger, we could have saved…_

T.K. shut his eyes tight, feeling the tears threatening to spill out from them.

And they did.

_Matt…I…I'm so sorry!_

A pained whimper from the younger blonde caught Nancy's attention.

"T.K., what is it?"

"I-it's…M-matt…" he stuttered.

"I know that you're worried about him too," she said, "but he will get better."

Despite her hopeful words, they provided little comfort to T.K. and Nancy saw the combined stress and exhaustion swimming in her youngest son's tear-filled eyes.

"I'll take care of him now, T.K."

T.K. hesitated. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I'm sure, now try to get some rest, dear."

"I will, Mom."

As T.K. left, Nancy pulled up a chair next to her son's bedside and throughout the remainder of the evening, she sat diligently, dabbing Matt's forehead with a damp washcloth.

She then heard the door of the apartment open, followed by heavy dragging footsteps.

_That must be Hiroaki. _Nancy thought.

She listened as her ex-husband's footsteps came closer and closer to Matt's room until she heard the doorknob turn and open, revealing the man she once loved.

"Nancy?" Hiroaki said in a puzzled voice, "I saw T.K. sleeping on the couch when I came in…Why both of you here?"

He glanced over her and saw Matt, shivering a bit with a faint red flush across his cheeks.

"W-what's wrong with Matt?" he asked, setting his briefcase down before joining her.

"He's been sick with a severe cold," she said, brushing away a loose strand of golden hair from out of her eldest son's face. "I don't see how Matt came down with it so fast…"

"I know how," Hiroaki frowned sternly, "Yesterday, Matt wouldn't change out of his wet clothes after he and I found out what was causing his muteness. How is he doing now?"

"He's still warm," she replied, "but I think his fever's getting close to breaking."

Hiroaki sighed in relief. "That's good to know…um Nancy?"

"Yes?"

"While I was at work today," he said, "I have been looking up various treatments for people with psychogenic aphonia and I managed to find someone who could help Matt get his voice back. Once Matt's better, I can schedule an appointment for him."

"And starting now," Hiroaki said, pulling his ex-wife close to him, "He's going to need all of us."

At that precise moment, the computer suddenly turned began to hum in an almost human matter. Following the humming, numbers appeared on the monitor began to come together. The numbers then slowly started forming an outlined shape on the computer screen.

-To be continued…


End file.
